Klin Onkol 1999; 12(5): 156-160.
Summary: Background: A decrease in incidence and mortality from lung cancer and shifts in temporal trends and geographic distribution of histologic types has been observed in countries of Western Europe and Northern America during recent decades. These changes could be attributed to a decrease in smoking and introduction of filter cigarettes. Methods: We analysed of temporal trends of age - adjusted overall and truncated incidence and mortality rates and of incidence of main histologic types of lung carcinomas in the years 1968-1992 using data from National cancer registry of Slovakia. Results: After dramatic initial increase of age-adjusted mortality and incidence rates of lung cancer in Slovakia in males before 1990, a tendency to peaking and decline could be observed. The corresponding rates in females increased slowly and remained low. Overall, of 22923 microscopically conflrmed cases in males, squamous and small cell carcinomas prevailed which accounted for 62.9 and 20.6%. In females (2476 cases), a parallel increase of adenocarcinomas accounting for 37.4% and squamous cell carcinomas with 36.6 % has been shown. Conclusions: The relatively high rates and important delay in decrease of lung cancer incidence and mortality rates in males and dominant position of squamous cell carcinomas in both sexes in Slovakia could be attributed to the slow decrease of smoking and late introduction of filter cigarettes in this country.
